Many people buy a home with the intention of moving out in the future to accommodate the family they intend on having or just to upgrade into a nicer home. However, when you want something more than what you are getting from your current home, you do not have to actually buy another home. Investing in a home addition is a great alternative that many times is easier and more cost-effective, which also creates added equity and value for your home.
If you do not like the size of your kitchen, whether the reason is because your family has grown since you bought the home, the kitchen was small to begin with, or you enjoy cooking more than you did in the past, your home addition can be an expanded kitchen to accommodate your kitchen-related demands.
In many cases, a new kitchen doesn’t require the addition of a whole new room. For example, a kitchen bump-out that adds four feet of depth and 20 feet of length can give you 80 square feet more to work with. This is ideal, particularly for older houses. It gives you the space you need to add a large kitchen island, extra counter space or a walk-in pantry. If you love to entertain, you could even have a perfect spot for food preparation and staging that keeps serving away from cooking and cleaning.
A family home with only one or two bathrooms can be problematic, especially when you have multiple people who need to get ready at the same time of the day. Adding a new bathroom can be just what you need to put your bathroom problems to rest and start enjoying your home again. Take this opportunity to make the spa retreat of your dreams.
A bathroom addition can be an excellent way to increase your home’s resale value, as well as improving your use of the space. Although many bathroom additions do add to the square footage of the home, others may be able to use existing space in a new way. For example, if you have a basement that isn’t finished or has a lot of unused living space, you might be able to add a bathroom there. This is often the first step that homeowners take toward making a separate living space in the basement, or an in-law suite for relatives or guests.
Planning for another child and not having a spare bedroom to use is a popular reason for homeowners to consider selling their current home and look for a new, larger, one. However, while this is one solution, another solution is to expand your home with a room addition and get a new bedroom to satisfy your bedroom necessities.
Bedroom additions can be small, or they can be your chance to create the master bedroom you’ve always wanted. Some people spend a lot of time in their bedrooms. They think of it like their retreat away from the world, a place to relax and refresh more than simply to sleep. This often calls for extra space. It may be easier to picture the whole when you see how it re-imagines your floorplan. When you build a master bedroom addition, you can get that king-sized bed and entertainment space, along with a walk-in closet and bathroom. This leaves the rest of your existing home free for a kids’ room, entertainment room or space for guests.
If you have a job that involves working at home, whether it is part-time or full-time, not having a dedicated office can lead to a major decrease in your productivity, which is just what you want to avoid. Fortunately, you can add a home office that is secluded from the main living areas.
Lots of people end up devoting a small spare bedroom or a nook in the basement to a home office. If you do most or all of your work from home or have an employee for your business, the home office needs to be a priority. An addition off the garage or in another part of the home gives you the opportunity to wall it off from your home life. You can even have a separate entrance for easy entry and exit during your work day.
Although home additions tend to be the biggest of home improvements, adding an even larger space does not necessarily mean you’re going too far. Some people have a wonderful home with a great property that simply doesn’t meet their needs at a variety of levels. You might need to add a new bedroom, bathroom and a home office. In that case, you can either try to expand outward or consider moving upward. A second floor addition doesn’t have to cover the whole footprint of your home, but it can dramatically increase your square footage. If you’ve got big plans for the way you want to live in your home, it might be the perfect way to create space to do it.
Are you hesitant to get started with the planning for your home addition project because you want to be sure you're "covering all of your bases"? Working with a design-build contractor can help with the space planning and layout for your addition project, by maximizing the useful space in your home and available space on your lot.
If these additions or another type of home addition is what you need in your home, review our gallery of home addition projects.